1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to methods and devices for enabling communication between different communication networks. More particularly, the present invention is directed to devices, switches, central facilities, and distributed facilities that at least partially, if not completely, establish communication linkage and coordination between different communication networks, including global telephone communication networks, normal telephony communication networks, proprietary data networks, Internet, and electrical distribution networks, for example.
2. Discussion of the Background
During the information age, communication services and the infrastructure for providing communications has become a commodity. As the information age progresses, significantly more communication services are offered in various forms, each of which having various attributes and servicing different niche audiences. While in most countries the communication infrastructure, at least for telephony, has been established at one time or another by way of a government corporation, or government condoned monopoly, at least at some basic level telephony-based networks are somewhat compatible. However, as more services become available, such as cable television, wireless satellite links, proprietary wireless local loop, Internet and other terrestrial-based networks. These are an increasing number of protocols and physical components needed to support those services. To the extent it is possible for the different communication networks to provide and share information between the different networks, perhaps by way of a caller request, or data message sent from one network to the next, the burden is on each of the different networks to provide a customized connection to the other networks. This is illustrated in FIG. 1, where it is seen that different networks, such as GSM 1, ISDN 3, public switch telephone network (PSTN) 5, cable-TV 7, electrical service 9, Ethernet, 11, and Internet protocol (IP) 13 network each provide individual connections between themselves in a “spaghetti-like” fashion. Consequently, in order to provide connections between the respective networks, the network connections are made directly, thus requiring many translation devices and adapters for each network.
As presently recognized, a limitation with this point-to-point interconnection approach for existing network services, is that every time a connection is required between the different networks, every network must be provided with a new adapter so as to be compatible with the new network. Adding the adapter is a straightforward process from a planning perspective, but implementation is very difficult and cost increases significantly every time a new service is brought on line. Furthermore, such a system provides a barrier-to-entry for smaller proprietary networks that may ultimately bear the burden of funding the expense of updating the adapters for other existing communication systems.
Within the telecommunications world there are operators who have long offered telecommunication services within limited geographical areas. However, there are also new telecommunication operators, and other operators that provide an opportunity to provide telecommunications and other communication services which may be compatible, or even competitors with conventional telecommunication networks. For example, some of the new tele-operators include electrical distributors, cable TV operators, Internet providers, wireless services such as LMDS, etc. Originally, these different “nets” each served different purposes, and were not configured to work with each other since their services were in different topical areas. However, given the significant event of deregulation of the telecommunications markets in the United States and in various other countries, it is presently envisioned that a transformation will occur on a global scale regarding the use of “non-conventional” resources to provide communication services. It is presently recognized that while these different services may be available, in order to have a commercially viable system that offers the consumer (i.e., subscriber, with commercially valuable service that truly allows the subscriber to have worldwide communication freedom regardless of where the subscriber presently is and plans to be in the future) point-to-point translators or gateways are being viewed as the solution. According to the configuration shown in FIG. 1, it is up to the different systems themselves to work out the differences in protocols and communication capacities so as to establish communications between the “unconventional” communication providers, if in fact the communications link can be established at all.
In view of the evolution of communication networks in the present deregulation era, the present inventors have recognized that the conventional point-to-point approach towards connecting different networks, will necessarily provide an economic barrier to new services that wish to enter the communications arena, because as each new service comes on line, additional translation and adapter equipment is required for all of the other systems.
As presently recognized, each of the different nets have one feature in common: each net communicates information from one point to the next. When it comes to communicating between different networks, language barriers (protocol differences) present themselves, which must be overcome in order to share the resources available between the different networks. The communication protocols, are not unlike different European languages. For example, more often than not incompatible “native” languages are not an absolute barrier due to the diversity of language skills held by many people. For example, as presently recognized, while it is possible that when one person approaches another person and begins communicating in language A, the second person will instantly be able to understand and converse in that language so that seamless communication may be had. However, often it is the case that when the first person begins communication with the second person in language A, but the second person recognizes that communication is not possible, and tries to respond with language B, hoping that the original speaker will be able to speak language B. Using this ping-pong approach, the two people eventually reach a determination regarding whether or not there is any common language that may be spoken between the two. When a common language is identified, the two may communicate directly, however, if there is no common language between the two, then it will be necessary to use a translator (a third person) in order to allow for the two to speak with each other. The present invention, to some extent, leverages on this concept, and provides a central facility that helps facilitate in a fast and efficient manner different communication protocols that may be common between the two different networks so that those networks may operate in a direct communication mode. However, when communication is not possible the central facility provides an infrastructure for converting between the two languages (a translation function). Furthermore, the central facility helps educate both the first network and the second network, for future communication sessions, by efficiently providing to the different communication networks attributes of specific subscribers and networks that are used in the overall communication system.